jahjah Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 this crap is so FREAKING frustrating. I am a very accomplished trumpet/trombone/french horn player. I can play jazz/classical/modern/whatever. i know pretty much all my scales, chords, and sets. I can read sheet music no problem. But gimme a guitar and put tabs in front of me and i feel like a 2 year old trying to solve a calculus problem... I JUST CANT DO IT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig87 Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 just quit tring to play tabs and run scales till you bleed. repeat for about a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolyrgr Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 Sounds like you can already read music then, the TAB might be the issue. One of the hardest things when learning a new instrument (if you are already good at another) is having to go back to the beginning. I suggest starting with the different pentatonic scales. Someone with a blues ear like your probability is, could fake their way thru a jam session with just those learned. throw that in with a little basic sight reading, and you will be playing on no time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edde Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 I gave up trying 30 years ago or more I can play drums and peck the piano a wee bit. But NO guitar. :character0032: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natzeng Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 never say you can't do anything. just practice once you get the hang of it its REALLY simple. then comes memorization of how to play the song. oh yeah some chords you won't be able to play correctly in a day so practice the positioning of your fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack_Morris Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 Know how I solved my issues with learning guitar? Guitar Hero!!!!1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helterbot Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 Ah! Finally a subject I can speak with authority on. If you want to quickly accelerate your learning there is a simple exercise that yields fantastic results in about a months time. The primary objective is to get alternate picking down, as well as coordination in all of your fingers. The most basic pattern consists of starting on the 1st fret and playing 1-2-3-4 starting on the low E and continuing until the high E. After going up shift up 1 fret and play 5-4-3-2 until you get back to the low E. Continue this until you reach the 12th fret or so and work your way back down. I guarantee that you will make a huge improvement in your playing if you do this with a metronome for 30min to an hour a day. Remember to use alternate picking, and always use all four fingers regardless of the direction you're moving. Hope this helps! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie_Rich Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 (edited) I think if you practice enough you will develop finger memory. My son plays piano and he recognizes it. I suppose it's like typing. I'm actually thinking about trying to play guitar. My concern is I'm basically a lefty. I drum, bat and golf righty though. I seem to have better dexterity with my left hand and think it would be better for finger control, but it seems more natural to pick the guitar up and play lefty. Any thoughts on that? Another thought is the opportunity to pick up someone else's guitar and play. When I played drums it was easy to sit in a jam on some else's equipment because I played the same way. There are not a lot of lefty guitar players and the chances of being able to find a lefty guitar laying around are slim. I thought about just playing upside down, but it's hard converting finger positions. Edited November 22, 2008 by Richie_Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loye Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 Know how I solved my issues with learning guitar? Good one :gamer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-O Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 Watching a little August Rush will cheer ya up. Don't feel bad man, I've been trying for the past couple years, and haven't grasped it the way I want to. It'll all fall into place somewhere down the line. Same with me and snowboarding. I can't board worth a damn, but every year I hit the mountain with my buddies and have got pretty good at filming them doing tricks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig87 Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 I think if you practice enough you will develop finger memory. My son plays piano and he recognizes it. I suppose it's like typing. I'm actually thinking about trying to play guitar. My concern is I'm basically a lefty. I drum, bat and golf righty though. I seem to have better dexterity with my left hand and think it would be better for finger control, but it seems more natural to pick the guitar up and play lefty. Any thoughts on that? Another thought is the opportunity to pick up someone else's guitar and play. When I played drums it was easy to sit in a jam on some else's equipment because I played the same way. There are not a lot of lefty guitar players and the chances of being able to find a lefty guitar laying around are slim. I thought about just playing upside down, but it's hard converting finger positions. fight the urge and learn right if you can. I could not. You can pick up any electric and flip it. (you can get the intonation right with effort). just make sure that it has enough of a cutout to get below the 12 fret. Acoustic is another story my washburn had to be custom ordered and was 500 for a guitar that would have been 400 righty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89PalermoSHP Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 chords THEN scales if it hasnt been mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbo G54B Posted November 22, 2008 Report Share Posted November 22, 2008 This thread makes me want to start practicing again. My senior year, an art teacher offered free guitar lessons once a week, and I was getting pretty good at it, in the short time I was there. The thing that pissed me off was that I couldn't, for the life of me, learn to use a pick, and it made me feel completely detached from the instrument. I guess, the only advice I have is don't bother trying to learn songs, for now. Helterbot made a good point about those exercises. I used to do various exercises for hours on end and it really improved my coordination and finger strength in a short time. And one thing my teacher told me was to stay away from tabs as much as possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helterbot Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 On an unrelated note, here are a few pictures of my BC Rich Stealth that I paid for in May, but finally showed up last week. Plays like an absolute dream! http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z126/helterbot/P1010223.jpg http://i195.photobucket.com/albums/z126/helterbot/P1010225.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahjah Posted November 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 no no no. it has nothing to do with rhythm or anything like that.... i simply can't put my fat fingers in the correct places.... they simply wont stretch long enough. I'm just gonna stick to Trumpet and let my wife play guitar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lusion972 Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 I can't play the guitar, piano, trumpet, saxophone, harp, french horn, cow bell, drum or any other variation of musical instrument. I think your doing much better then me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie_Rich Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 no no no. it has nothing to do with rhythm or anything like that.... i simply can't put my fat fingers in the correct places.... they simply wont stretch long enough. I'm just gonna stick to Trumpet and let my wife play guitar... Did you ever consider playing the bass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahjah Posted November 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 Did you ever consider playing the bass? hmmm.... nope... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turborusty Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 I can't play the guitar, piano, trumpet, saxophone, harp, french horn, cow bell, drum or any other variation of musical instrument. I think your doing much better then me. I'm in the same boat. I can play the radio....that's about it. Turborusty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pure_insanity Posted November 23, 2008 Report Share Posted November 23, 2008 i didnt know you played kyle. wanna teach me what you know? i know nothing about music whatso ever, but i always thought it would be cool to play the guitar. really think id like to learn to play piano one day. on a side note, how about just playing by ear to figure out your own way. in other words pick something you can duplicate and develop your own style, thats what i always figured i would have to do if i ever got around to trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedog_37 Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 I have been playing for close to 20 year. Can't read music only tabs or most I can almost 90% of the time play the song just by hearing it. I also play Drums. Practice Practice practice is all I can tell you. After a while you will be able to feel the board and know were you hand, and fingers are with out looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahjah Posted November 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 You guys arent getting it lol. i can not physicaly, even using both hands, get my fingers to go to the right spots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FijiPhil Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 You guys arent getting it lol. i can not physicaly, even using both hands, get my fingers to go to the right spots. How long have you been trying this? And do you have particularly small hands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jahjah Posted November 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 How long have you been trying this? And do you have particularly small hands? I have fat little sausage fingers, i spent like 30 minutes trying to play a single chord. Fail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helterbot Posted November 25, 2008 Report Share Posted November 25, 2008 You guys arent getting it lol. i can not physicaly, even using both hands, get my fingers to go to the right spots. How are you trying to situate your hand? Make sure that your thumb is in the center of the neck, and not hanging over the top like I see many beginners doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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